Friday Night Lights
Forget about the so-called "dog days" of summer, because there is plenty to play for this weekend around Major League Baseball. Three series within the National League own playoff implications inside the tight Wild Card Race, while an AL East battle has plenty of intrigue.
Cardinals at Phillies (7:05 PM EST)
The pitching matchup may not raise eyebrows, as J.A. Happ opposes journeyman Joel Piniero. However, both of these hurlers have flown under the radar this season. Happ has been more than impressive, sporting a perfect 7-0 mark, with an ERA of 2.68. The Phillies southpaw has also gone deep into games, pitching past the seventh inning in five consecutive outings. Interestingly, Happ's numbers are better on the road (4-0, 1.57 ERA) than at home (3-0, 4.04 ERA), while the 'under' has hit for the lefty in four straight starts. The Cardinals are hitting a league-worst .225 against left-handed pitching.
Piniero owns a solid ERA of 3.09, despite an 8-9 mark. The right-hander has been nearly flawless as of late, with the Redbirds winning his last three starts. Piniero's ERA is 1.57 in this current stretch, while walking only one batter in his last six outings. The 'under' has been Piniero's strong suit this season, nailing it in 12 of 17 starts, including six of nine on the road.
The Phillies took the two earlier meetings at Busch Stadium, scoring 16 runs in the pair of victories. The Cards have finished 'under' the total in six of their past seven games. Las Vegas Sports Consultants has installed the Phillies as a $1.40 favorite, with the total set at 9.
Rays at Blue Jays (7:10 PM EST)
Every time Roy Halladay takes the mound for Toronto, we all wonder if it will be his last start in a Jays uniform, as the Rays head to the Rogers Centre. Halladay continues to be the main subject of trade rumors prior to the deadline at the end of July.
Halladay, considered the front-runner for the Cy Young Award winner in the AL, has won 11 of 14 decisions, coming off a complete-game victory over the Red Sox. The Toronto ace has lost twice to Tampa Bay this season, despite both outings being quality ones. The Jays are 1-4 in Halladay's last five starts against AL East opponents, but own a 7-3 mark in his ten home outings.
Matt Garza has slipped recently, compiling a 6.06 ERA in his last three starts. However, the 'under' has been hit in each of Garza's nine road starts this season, as the Rays have scored four runs or less each of these contests. Garza does have spectacular career numbers against the Jays, allowing three earned runs in six starts as a member of the Rays. The 'under' has been drilled in five of these six games, with the Rays going 4-2.
Tampa Bay is 5-1 in the six meetings this season, and will try to rebound after Mark Buehrle tossed a perfect game against the Rays on Thursday. The Jays are a $1.45 home favorite according to LVSC, with the total listed at 8.
Braves at Brewers (8:05 PM EST)
Two teams going in opposite directions meet up at Miller Park, as the Braves are rolling while the Brewers are scuffling. Atlanta has won 10 of its past 14 to close the gap in the NL Wild Card race. Milwaukee is 6-12 in the month of July, winning only one of six series.
Javier Vazquez had been a victim of bad luck in June, with the Braves dropping four of his five starts, as Atlanta tallied six runs. Vazquez's fortune has improved over the last three weeks, beating the Mets and Cubs, while picking up a no-decision in a victory over the Phillies. The Braves righty ranks ninth in the NL in ERA (2.86), and second in strikeouts (141). Vazquez was on the wrong side of a 3-0 loss at home to Milwaukee in early June, despite allowing four hits and two earned runs in six innings of work.
Manny Parra's run in the minors has paid off, as the Brewers southpaw has given up eight hits and one run his last two starts. Prior to this current stretch, Parra spent time at Triple-A Nashville to regain his control after five straight losses. The move has worked out as Milwaukee desperately needed a left-hander in its rotation surrounded by four righties. Parra was touched up by the Braves in an 8-7 loss back on June 7, allowing five runs and eight hits in less than six innings.
LVSC has listed the Braves as a $1.35 road 'chalk,' with the total set at 8 ?.
Giants at Rockies (9:10 PM EST)
Bruce Bochy's club led the NL Wild Card race at the All-Star Break, but have stumbled out of the gate in the second half by losing five of seven. Colorado, meanwhile, has played outstanding since the managerial change from Clint Hurdle to Jim Tracy, going 34-15. The Rockies and Giants will meet up 13 more times over the next two months, including seven matchups at Coors Field before September.
This game was supposed to feature a pair of 10-game winners, with Matt Cain and Jason Marquis on the mound. Cain is still scheduled to start, but Marquis was scratched due to a blister on his right hand.
Cain is in the midst of a career year, going 11-2, with an ERA of 2.32. The Giants right-hander owns a solid 5-1 road mark, while winning at Coors back in May. In that victory, Cain held the Rockies to only one hit in six scoreless innings. San Francisco is 4-5 in Cain's last nine starts against Colorado, dating back to 2007.
Jason Hammel gets the start in Marquis' place, as the former Rays righty is 5-4 on the season, while owning an ERA of 4.26. The Rockies have won eight of Hammel's last ten starts, as the 'over' has hit in six of his nine home outings.
San Francisco's offense has been absolutely anemic since the break, scoring a grand total of 16 runs in its last seven contests. The Rockies have been involved in eight one-run games in their last 11 at Coors Field. However, Colorado is 20-6 following a one-run contest, and 9-2 off a win by a single run (the Rockies beat Arizona, 4-3 on Wednesday).
The Rockies are a $1.20 home favorite, with the total listed at 9 ?, according to LVSC.
Forget about the so-called "dog days" of summer, because there is plenty to play for this weekend around Major League Baseball. Three series within the National League own playoff implications inside the tight Wild Card Race, while an AL East battle has plenty of intrigue.
Cardinals at Phillies (7:05 PM EST)
The pitching matchup may not raise eyebrows, as J.A. Happ opposes journeyman Joel Piniero. However, both of these hurlers have flown under the radar this season. Happ has been more than impressive, sporting a perfect 7-0 mark, with an ERA of 2.68. The Phillies southpaw has also gone deep into games, pitching past the seventh inning in five consecutive outings. Interestingly, Happ's numbers are better on the road (4-0, 1.57 ERA) than at home (3-0, 4.04 ERA), while the 'under' has hit for the lefty in four straight starts. The Cardinals are hitting a league-worst .225 against left-handed pitching.
Piniero owns a solid ERA of 3.09, despite an 8-9 mark. The right-hander has been nearly flawless as of late, with the Redbirds winning his last three starts. Piniero's ERA is 1.57 in this current stretch, while walking only one batter in his last six outings. The 'under' has been Piniero's strong suit this season, nailing it in 12 of 17 starts, including six of nine on the road.
The Phillies took the two earlier meetings at Busch Stadium, scoring 16 runs in the pair of victories. The Cards have finished 'under' the total in six of their past seven games. Las Vegas Sports Consultants has installed the Phillies as a $1.40 favorite, with the total set at 9.
Rays at Blue Jays (7:10 PM EST)
Every time Roy Halladay takes the mound for Toronto, we all wonder if it will be his last start in a Jays uniform, as the Rays head to the Rogers Centre. Halladay continues to be the main subject of trade rumors prior to the deadline at the end of July.
Halladay, considered the front-runner for the Cy Young Award winner in the AL, has won 11 of 14 decisions, coming off a complete-game victory over the Red Sox. The Toronto ace has lost twice to Tampa Bay this season, despite both outings being quality ones. The Jays are 1-4 in Halladay's last five starts against AL East opponents, but own a 7-3 mark in his ten home outings.
Matt Garza has slipped recently, compiling a 6.06 ERA in his last three starts. However, the 'under' has been hit in each of Garza's nine road starts this season, as the Rays have scored four runs or less each of these contests. Garza does have spectacular career numbers against the Jays, allowing three earned runs in six starts as a member of the Rays. The 'under' has been drilled in five of these six games, with the Rays going 4-2.
Tampa Bay is 5-1 in the six meetings this season, and will try to rebound after Mark Buehrle tossed a perfect game against the Rays on Thursday. The Jays are a $1.45 home favorite according to LVSC, with the total listed at 8.
Braves at Brewers (8:05 PM EST)
Two teams going in opposite directions meet up at Miller Park, as the Braves are rolling while the Brewers are scuffling. Atlanta has won 10 of its past 14 to close the gap in the NL Wild Card race. Milwaukee is 6-12 in the month of July, winning only one of six series.
Javier Vazquez had been a victim of bad luck in June, with the Braves dropping four of his five starts, as Atlanta tallied six runs. Vazquez's fortune has improved over the last three weeks, beating the Mets and Cubs, while picking up a no-decision in a victory over the Phillies. The Braves righty ranks ninth in the NL in ERA (2.86), and second in strikeouts (141). Vazquez was on the wrong side of a 3-0 loss at home to Milwaukee in early June, despite allowing four hits and two earned runs in six innings of work.
Manny Parra's run in the minors has paid off, as the Brewers southpaw has given up eight hits and one run his last two starts. Prior to this current stretch, Parra spent time at Triple-A Nashville to regain his control after five straight losses. The move has worked out as Milwaukee desperately needed a left-hander in its rotation surrounded by four righties. Parra was touched up by the Braves in an 8-7 loss back on June 7, allowing five runs and eight hits in less than six innings.
LVSC has listed the Braves as a $1.35 road 'chalk,' with the total set at 8 ?.
Giants at Rockies (9:10 PM EST)
Bruce Bochy's club led the NL Wild Card race at the All-Star Break, but have stumbled out of the gate in the second half by losing five of seven. Colorado, meanwhile, has played outstanding since the managerial change from Clint Hurdle to Jim Tracy, going 34-15. The Rockies and Giants will meet up 13 more times over the next two months, including seven matchups at Coors Field before September.
This game was supposed to feature a pair of 10-game winners, with Matt Cain and Jason Marquis on the mound. Cain is still scheduled to start, but Marquis was scratched due to a blister on his right hand.
Cain is in the midst of a career year, going 11-2, with an ERA of 2.32. The Giants right-hander owns a solid 5-1 road mark, while winning at Coors back in May. In that victory, Cain held the Rockies to only one hit in six scoreless innings. San Francisco is 4-5 in Cain's last nine starts against Colorado, dating back to 2007.
Jason Hammel gets the start in Marquis' place, as the former Rays righty is 5-4 on the season, while owning an ERA of 4.26. The Rockies have won eight of Hammel's last ten starts, as the 'over' has hit in six of his nine home outings.
San Francisco's offense has been absolutely anemic since the break, scoring a grand total of 16 runs in its last seven contests. The Rockies have been involved in eight one-run games in their last 11 at Coors Field. However, Colorado is 20-6 following a one-run contest, and 9-2 off a win by a single run (the Rockies beat Arizona, 4-3 on Wednesday).
The Rockies are a $1.20 home favorite, with the total listed at 9 ?, according to LVSC.
